Unitary thermoplastic container having breakaway cap which protects sterile interior access barrier

ABSTRACT

There is disclosed herein a method for blow molding a bottle, for instance, from a tube of thermoplastic material. The method includes filling such a container, if desired, with a fluid prior to sealing of the bottle. The bottle has at least one orifice which may be sealed with an integral membrane and a further protective cap is integrally molded with the bottle. Apparatus is also disclosed for molding, filling and sealing such bottles in one operation from a tube a thermoplastic material which has relatively movable mold parts.

This is a division of application Ser. No. 448,684, filed Mar. 6, 1974,now U.S. Pat. No. 3,936,264, which is a division of Ser. No. 338,878,filed Mar. 7, 1973, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,851,029.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

There has been considerable activity in the blow molding of bottlesconstructed of thermoplastic materials such as polyethylene andpolypropylene. These bottles are conventionally blow molded and thenfilled. Finally they are capped. Most of the prior art has dealt withsuch bottles wherein they are filled at a much later date after filling.

Of fairly recent vintage is the concept of blow molding a bottle in aconventional manner and then filling the bottle with a fluid materialwhile the bottle is retained in the mold. The bottle is integrallysealed with thermoplastic material after filling. The seal is usually abreachable membrane or a cap which may be broken away along a weakenedpart line. The attractiveness in this manner of fabrication resides inthe fact that the contents in the bottle are admitted when sterile andare then sealed therein in a sterile condition. The bottle has not beenexposed to ambient conditions prior to filling so that organisms havenot had the opportunity to invade the interior of the bottle.

The mode of operation and the apparatus therefor of a prior arttechnique can be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 3,325,860. This patent disclosesthe general concept of blow molding and filling a thermoplastic bottleprior to integrally sealing. The present invention is an ingeniousimprovement over such prior art disclosure.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates, generally, to a method and apparatus formolding, filling and sealing a container made of thermoplastic materialin a single continuous operation. The apparatus has an extrusion headwhich extrudes thermoplastic tubing a section of which, whilst still hotand relatively soft, is enclosed in a sectional mold. A fluid underpressure is supplied internally with respect to the extruded tubing inthe mold to thereby distend the tube into contact with the mold surfaceto form a container. It will be appreciated that the fluid underpressure may be the material with which the container is to be filled orit may be, for example, a gas which is subsequently displaced fromwithin the container when the material with which the container is to befilled is supplied to the blown container. The container has at leastinitially formed therewith two necks, each having an integrallybreakaway cap. At least one of the necks terminates in a breachable sealwhich may have an outwardly extending or inwardly extending cone-likeconfiguration. The breachable seal is then encompassed with a cap. Theseal and caps are integrally molded by the apparatus herein disclosedand by the method herein also taught.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

One example of an apparatus constructed in accordance with the inventionis illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a bottle produced by practicing theinstant invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the apparatus of the presentinvention taken along line 2--2 of FIG. 4 with the mold in an openposition.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the apparatus taken along line 3--3of FIG. 5 and along the same plane as in FIG. 2 wherein the main mold isin a closed position and a pinch means has operated.

FIG. 4 is a view taken along line 4--4 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a view taken along line 5--5 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 6--6 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary close-up view in cross section as in FIG. 3.

FIG. 8 is a similar view as in FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a similar view as in FIGS. 7 and 8.

FIG. 10 is another embodiment of the arrangement of FIG. 8.

FIG. 11 is a similar view as in FIG. 10.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a bottleconstructed in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a similar view as in FIG. 7.

FIG. 14 is another embodiment of the arrangement of FIGS. 8 and 10.

FIG. 15 is a similar view as in FIG. 14.

DETAILED CONSIDERATION OF THE INVENTION

Attention is now directed to FIG. 1, in which a thermoplastic container11 is shown having two necks 12 and 13, respectively, displaced from theaxis of the container. The necks terminate in caps 14 on each. In theembodiment shown in FIG. 1 the body 15 of the container has acylindrical configuration. It is pointed out that the body of thecontainer may have any one of a wide number of configurations, unusualshapes and designs. The design of the body of the container is onlylimited by the molds used and by the thermoplastic material employed.With regard to the thermoplastic materials, a wide range of suchmaterials are contemplated as coming within the purview of theinvention, for instance, polyethylene and polypropylene. It will also benoted that the container illustrated in FIG. 12 is a perspective view ofanother embodiment of the present invention wherein only one neck isprovided in the resultant.

The container of the present invention is blow molded in sectional moldsfrom an extruded hot thermoplastic tube. Attention is now directed toFIG. 2 wherein a conventional nozzle 15 extrudes a tube 16 ofthermoplastic material such as polyethylene material. The tube 16proceeds between a group of sectional molds. The main sectional molds 17are located below the upper sectional molds 18. The main molds each havea large cavity 19 designed to constrain the thermoplastic material toform the body of the container. The main molds 17 also have a pair ofsmaller cavities 20 to form the necks 12 and 13. The main molds areslidably positioned on flat surface 21. They are propelled to and fro bysuitably positioned cylinder and piston means 22 operated with a fluid.

As in a normal blow molding operation, the main mold is rapidly closedon the thermoplastic tube which is continuously extruded. When the moldsare closed the extruded parison is cut off and the molds are transferredto the blow molding and filling station. The view shown by FIG. 4 showsthe thermoplastic tube 16 between the pair of upper sectional molds 18with the main mold sections still in the open mode. The upper sectionalmolds are also driven by an appropriate hydraulic means 23. The uppersectional molds each have a cavity 24 designed to vacuum form a cap forthe container. In the FIG. 2 as depicted the cap would be identified byreference numeral 14 in FIG. 1.

In FIG. 5, the main molds 17 have closed on the tube 16, thereby bothpinching off and closing the bottom, as shown in FIG. 3. The closing ofthe main molds also pinches off the top of the tube, thereby leaving twoupwardly standing neck portions. The uppermost portion of the necks hasbeen cut at 25 as illustrated by FIG. 6, for instance. The two upwardlystanding neck portions are held in position by vacuum holding jaws 9positioned above molds 18. The holding jaws are connected to the molds17 by means of brackets 8, for instance, and are therefore designed tomove with molds 17.

When the main mold sections have been closed as in FIG. 3 and therespective necks have been formed as shown in FIG. 6: a slidablepinching means 26, shown in FIGS. 3 and 5 move between the main mold andthe upper mold under the aegis of fluid operated piston and cylindermeans 27 to bring together a slug 28 of thermoplastic material at thetop portion of neck 12. Of course, it is contemplated that other meansmay be employed to urge pinching means into operative position. The slug28 in cross section can be seen in a number of Figures, for example,FIGS. 6, 7 and 13. The top plan view of FIG. 5 also depicts the slug 28.The pinching of neck 12 effectively closes the neck. The other neck 13remains open so that a nozzle 33 is positioned therein in the mannershown in FIG. 6 in order to introduce the gas, such as air, to blow moldthe main body of the container and to complete the molding of the neck.The pressure of the air against the still hot thermoplastic materialforces the material against the cavity walls. As the blow molding iscompleted the same nozzle is utilized to introduce a quantity of liquid,that is, the container is filled to a desired degree. The procedure ofblow molding and filling is further exemplified in U.S. Pat. No.3,325,860.

As the container is blow molded and filled or soon after the completionthereof, the slug 28 may be shaped to form a cone 29. Turning to FIG. 8,for instance, a tube 30, having an internally positioned opposingcone-like cavity 31 having perforations 32 is brought into position bysuitable means to the upper surface of the slug 28. By applying a vacuumto the tube and combined with the positive pressure in the body of thecontainer the slug is deformed into the cone configuration shown in FIG.8.

Upon the completion of the formation of the cone 29 and the fillingoperation, the appropriate nozzle 33 and tube 30 are withdrawn. Theupper sectional molds 18 are closed. As the upper sectional molds areclosed a vacuum is drawn in chambers 34, as a result the remainingextension portions 35 and 36 above necks 12 and 13, respectively aredrawn into the respective cavities 24 due to a plurality of perforations37. The upper sectional molds thereby pinch closed the upper portions 35and 36 and form a cap 14 about the cone 29 which is displaced therefrom.

The latter operation essentially completes the formation of thecontainer of the present invention. The neck 12 terminates in a closedcone about which a cap 14 is positioned. The other neck merely possessesa cap having essentially the same configuration as the cap about thecone. Both caps have been molded whereby the thermoplastic material atthe locale where they join the top of the neck is quite thin. Thisthinness is designed to make it possible to easily breakaway the cap. Ofcourse, when the cap above neck 13 is broken off access to the interiorof the container is thereby provided. On the other hand, breaking awaythe cap above neck 12 still does not provide access to the interior ofthe body 15 of the container 11 as one is still confronted with thecone. This is desirable as the underlying cone is maintained in asterile clean condition as long as the cap has not been removed. As thetemperature during the forming of the cone and the container is higherthan bacteria and other organisms can tolerate, the thermoplastic issterile. To obtain access to the contents of the container through thecone, the cone must be punctured. In use, it may be desirable tobreak-off the cap surrounding the cone; then puncture the cone; and thenfollow this with attaching a flexible conduit, for instance. The capabove neck 13 may be broken away, if desired, to equalize pressureconditions.

In another embodiment as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the cone 39 may bepunctured with a preformed aperture 40 during the formation of the cone.This can be accomplished by having an axially disposed opening in thecavity of the tube through which a sufficiently large vacuum may beapplied to burst the end of the cone to form an aperture. FIG. 11 showsthe resultant after the cap has been formed by the upper sectionalmolds. It is also contemplated that the opening may be made by a meanshaving a sharp point.

In another embodiment, as shown by FIG. 13, no cone is formed, butrather the slug 28 is left as originally formed and the cap thereaboveis formed. This last embodiment is useful when the slug is to beemployed as a breachable seal. A sharp cannula may be used to puncturethe slug, after the cap 14 has been removed, in order to introducematerial or to remove material.

Another embodiment within the purview of the inventive concept is thecreation of an inverted cone which extends downwardly into neck 12. Thiscan be accomplished by employing a pointed rod which deforms slug 28inwardly. Illustrative of this concept is FIG. 14 and the resultant asshown in FIG. 15. It will be noted that a pointed rod 40 is used todeform the slug 28 into an inverted cone 41. FIG. 15 shows the cap 14 inposition.

As neck 13 is primarily employed for the introduction of material,liquid or gas, for instance, it is possible to completely eliminate theneck 13 when there is no need therefor. With regard thereto attention isdirected to FIG. 12. Neck 12 is positioned axially with respect to acylindrical container. The other neck has been pinched off at 42 and thesurface is sealed to leave only a vestige of the neck. It will be seenthat the body of the container is corrugated so that it may be collapsedaxially. When the cap is broken off and the underlying cone has been oris punctured the contents in the container may be retrieved by squeezingthe container to collapse it and the contents will be dispensed throughthe cone having an aperture.

What is claimed is:
 1. A container fabricated from thermoplasticmaterial comprising:a body; said body having at least one neck; saidneck terminating at its end distal from said body with a continuousbreachable sealing membrane; a cap covering said breachable sealingmembrane; the edges of said cap being joined to the edges of saidcontinuous breachable sealing membrane and to the distal end of saidneck; said cap having a weakened portion between the portion of said capproximal to said breachable sealing membrane and the portion of said capdistal thereto, whereby said distal portion of said cap may be readilybroken away, by rupturing of said weakened portion, thereby exposingsaid breachable sealing membrane; said body, neck, breachable sealingmembrane and said cap being unitary and consisting entirely of one pieceof homogeneous thermoplastic material.
 2. The container of claim 1wherein the breachable sealing membrane has an outwardly extending coneconfiguration.
 3. The container of claim 1 wherein the breachablesealing membrane has a deformed configuration extending into the neck.4. Subject matter under claim 1 in which the interior surfaces andvolumes of the container, on either side of the breachable sealingmembrane, are, while the cap remains whole and unbroken, sterile.
 5. Acontainer fabricated from thermoplastic material comprising:a body; saidbody having at least one neck; said neck terminating at its end distalfrom said body with an apertured separation member; a cap covering saidapertured separation member; the edges of said cap being joined to theedges of said apertured separation member and to the distal end of saidneck; said cap having a weakened portion between the portion of said capproximal to said apertured separation member and the portion of said capdistal thereto, whereby said distal portion of said cap may be readilybroken away, by rupturing of said weakened portion, thereby exposingsaid apertured separation member; said body, neck, apertured separationmember and said cap being unitary and consisting entirely of one pieceof homogeneous thermoplastic material.
 6. The container of claim 5wherein the apertured separation member has an outwardly extending coneconfiguration.
 7. The container of claim 5 wherein the aperturedseparation member has a deformed configuraion extending into the neck.8. Subject matter under claim 5 in which the interior surfaces andvolumes of the container, including both surfaces of the aperturedseparation member, are, while the cap remains whole and unbroken,sterile.